Johnos Reviews: Yume Nikki (PC)
Hello again Empire! I just finished my playthrough of Yume Nikki, and boy was I impressed. I know I've been absent from the site for a while. I'm still working on expanding my YouTube channel. I've got a few backup articles to post when things start to get too quiet here. Anyways, lets get into the review. Plot Actually, there isn't much plot to the game. You explore the many unique dreamscapes in search of effects that either help you on your quest or simply change your appearance. Once you have collected them all you drop them in the Nexus (door room) and get to the end cutscene. Thats really it as far as story. Sound/Music Flawless. The music perfectly compliments the visuals, which we will cover later. The sounds are subtle and they can either help ease the tension or build it further. I'm quite amazed that this game manages to produce genuine emotional responses just from the little sounds you hear amid the emotions evoked by the music, which, even more amazingly, can have the opposite effect as the sound effects. For example, when the music is dark and scary, a cute little tune from your Flute Effect will make you feel a little less nervous and gives you the bravery to continue. In contrast, you can be in a beautiful place with cheerful music, and a random sound makes you question yourself and whether or not you should venture further. Its truly incredible how it can tease and toy with your emotions at will, even without the visuals. Graphics/Visuals It has a 16 bit look and feel to it, which is expected being a RPG Maker game. This is by no means a bad thing however. It actually works to the game's advantage. It makes the dream world more familiar by including a gameplay style that most gamers have fond childhood memories of. But this classic format does not prepare us for the visuals, the biggest thing this game has in it's favor. The visuals are just as good, if not better, at producing an emotional response. They range from absolutely gorgeous to horrific and macabre in mere seconds. Combined with the music, a perfect atmosphere is created, which is extremely rare. What I thought This game is fantastic. You get thrown right into the thick of things at the beginning with little to no explanation or instruction. You just wander until you find something and put the pieces together as you go along. This disorientation helps add to that perfect surrealistic atmosphere. From its confusing beginning to its shocking end, this game is amazing, and I encourage you all to give it a try. You won't be disappointed. Afterword Amazing game. I give it a 10/10. Go play it. The final episode of Johnos Plays Yume Nikki should be up soon if it isn't up already. I have a few other YouTube related projects in the works, as well as those backup articles I was talking about. Until then, have a great day everybody! Related Media A new subsection I'll be adding under the Afterword from now on, with links to info, downloads, and videos related to the article. A neat flash animation Johnos Plays | Yume Nikki ALL EPISODES!!! Category:Review Category:Video Games